|
|
|
Watchmen
(2009)
 
Watchmen is the thinking man’s (or woman’s) superhero film. It easily
surpasses many of the previous efforts to bring comic books to the big
screen. The Dark Knight proved that these stories can make for serious
commentary on the human condition, and dismiss the silliness of the
costumes and the corny dialogue. Sin City also made great headway for
these films, as a dark and mature graphic novel come to life. Watchmen
is a serious feat, as one of the most respected and praised graphic
novels ever written. And, throughout the film, it is clear that the
fans were kept in mind, and it’s clear that those of us, who just saw
the film, might have been a little left in the dark.
Watchmen takes place in an alternate history and the main plot is set
in 1985 during a nuclear stand off with the Soviet Union. Masked
heroes (in this alternate world) have long been a part of law
enforcement and government conduct (the history is cleverly shown
throughout the opening credits with Bob Dylan buzzing in the
soundtrack) and have since been stripped of their duties and sent into
hiding, their glory days behind them. When one of the former masked
heroes, The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), is murdered, Rorschach, a
hero vigilante who never quite gave up his old ways, thinks there ma
be a conspiracy against the former heroes. Gradually the group of
heroes are reunited to uncover the mystery of The Comedians death, and
discover who is with them or against them in a world on edge.
I respect that the graphic novel is detailed, with different plotlines
and deep character study, but the attention paid to this in the film
made it feel somewhat fractured. Each character was awarded a back
story that distracted from the main plot, making the story feel
disjointed. Scenes that could have perhaps landed on the editing room
floor were left in, and felt unnecessary. I could have done without
the love scene between Laurie (Malin Akerman) and Dan (Patrick
Wilson). Jon or Dr. Manhattan’s (Billy Crudup) enormous back story
and his scenes of endless philosophy often felt redundant, and could
have easily been reduced without the audience missing out on the main
idea and role of his character.
However, the main plot is fantastically entertaining and intelligent.
The direction and cinematography was refreshing (I really enjoyed the
main titles) and the interweaving of these fictional superheroes into
popular culture and history was done seamlessly. Rorschach’s
characterization was one of the better ones, adding a dash of classic
noir to the main plot. Jackie Earle Haley’s performance is scene
stealing, and I always looked forward to his time on screen. I also
really enjoyed the role of the Comedian, and his sociopathic rage
against society, and the fact that his character helped with the
commentary on the ironies and hypocrisy of human nature. These
characters were used quite well, and both helped the main plot to move
forward, along with Matthew Goode as Adrian (Ozymandias). Patrick
Wilson also made for a likeable Night Owl.
Jon, or Dr. Manhattan, is supposed to be out of touch with humanity and
emotion (the fact that he doesn’t wear clothes indicated his dismissal
of basic social standards), but for being such a vital character in
the story, his characterization felt somewhat empty and sometimes
corny. His presence was fascinating, but I don’t think Billy Crudup as
the skills to make this character more “real”. Yes, the idea of Dr.
Manhattan is fantastical, but an actor with the subtle ability to
bring weight to such an empty man, such an intelligent and interesting
character, would have been better.
Watchmen, is a superhero epic. It is made for the big screen, and the
editing and cinematography is gorgeous. The layers of philosophy laid
within the plotline requires a great deal of thought, and made the
film interesting, giving it a home with the better superhero films of
our time. While some scenes could have been left out, and some
dialogue trimmed here and there, the film for the most part is a great
achievement, and should please fans.
|
|
|
|
All contents ©
2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
|
|
 |
Director:
Zach Snyder
Writer: David Hayter & Alex Tse, Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons
Starring:
Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer, Stephen McHattie
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Runtime: 163
min
Rating: R
Release Date: March 6, 2009
|
|
 |
|
